


Prince of Land & Prince of Sea

by IJustWantMyTea



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: Alois is a mess, Alois knows nothing, Angst and Feels, Awkward Kissing, Ciel secretly hates being a prince, Declarations Of Love, Denial of Feelings, Did I Mention Angst?, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Romance, First Kiss, Fluff and Angst, Fluffy Ending, Human! Sebastian, Little Mermaid Elements, M/M, Mer! Alois Trancy, Mer! Hannah Annafellows, Mild Sexual Tension, Mild arguments, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Prince of the sea Alois, Sea witch! Claude, Ship Wrecks, Slow Burn, Very Loosely based off of The Little Mermaid, also Luka is dead, both boys are too stubborn for their own good, hand holding, he's probably a pirate at heart, he's so baffled, major pining, merfolk courting, no smut though, sebastian knows, stubborn slow burn, the Phantomhive trio end up shipping it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-28
Updated: 2018-11-28
Packaged: 2019-09-01 18:57:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,402
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16770934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IJustWantMyTea/pseuds/IJustWantMyTea
Summary: Merfolk are a myth, a bedtime story told to children with wide eyes and big imaginations, they only exist within the pages of books and in songs and rhymes. This is what Ciel has known for years until the very creature he believed to be fake rescues him from a watery grave, turning his life upside down.Land-walkers are not to be trusted, all they're good for is food. Getting too close to one is the worst mistake a mer can make. This is what Alois has ingrained into him everyday, the rules he has followed all his life. But those rules are tossed out the window after he rescues a shipwrecked Captain, claiming him as his own.What will become of the two, and what lengths will they go to in order to get their way?





	Prince of Land & Prince of Sea

Light filtered through the stained glass windows lining the obnoxiously large room, casting warped, colourful shadows along the marble and red carpeted floor. A young man, barely at his prime was perched on a throne that seemed much too large for someone of his stature, legs crossed and his chin resting on a closed fist. His face held a look of perpetual, unadulterated boredom, eyes glazed over as though he weren’t even paying attention to the conversations taking place not a few feet in front of him. He was much more intrigued by the way one particular window seemed to perfectly spill the hues of the ocean across the white marble at his feet, as though it were taking pity on him and attempting to provide a pleasant distraction. It wasn’t as if he would be granted any input in the discussion anyway, which meant being here was an utter waste of time, especially when he could be out on his beloved ship, the _Valkyria_. “Enough. There’s absolutely no reason for me to be present. Continue your discussions once I have left.”

“But, Your Highness! These discussions are all regarding your Coronation as King! It is imperative that you are present for this…” The protests of a portly man who looked to be in charge fell on deaf ears. The Prince, soon to be crowned King rose, stepping from the dais where the ornate throne of silver and gold perched regally, the only real furniture in the large, echoing room. A soft, almost humourless chuckle echoed throughout the room as the young man strode passed the small group of middle aged men who were losing hair and sleep over Coronation preparations. The origin of the chuckle stepped forwards, taking up his rightful position by the Prince’s side, receiving only a brief acknowledgement as he did. As the two exited the room, heavy double doors crafted of mahogany and carved with intricate patterns slammed shut behind them, silencing the headache inducing chatter with a soft boom.

“My Prince, you are aware that by continually leaving these meetings half way through, you are delaying your Coronation further.” He knew reminding the agitated prince of this would only irk him further, but it was his duty to keep the royal on track. That didn’t mean to say he didn’t enjoy giving bothersome reminders where they weren’t necessarily required.

“Don’t you dare start on me too, Sebastian. You know that I don’t _need_ to be there. Those old clowns are the ones making all of the decisions, they just want me there so they can pretend that I’ve had some input.” The young royal snapped, shooting a cold glare over his shoulder for the briefest of moments. Sebastian stopped as the Prince continued to walk, one white gloved hand smoothing over the front of his ebony tailcoat, a knowing smirk plastered to his face. He had been at the Prince’s side for five years, ever since the King and Queen had met an untimely end at sea, their vessel torn apart and sunk during a particularly vicious storm. No one had expected for a stranger to step in and care for the Prince, nor did anyone expect for the Prince to be so accepting of the stranger.

“I’m assuming you’re headed to the _Valkyria_ again, Highness?” Sebastian spoke softly, he had no need to raise his volume to have his voice carry and reach the retreating figure. Not when the empty and silent expanse of the hallway acted as an amplifier and he knew that Ciel would be paying attention regardless.

“Yes, I’ll be spending the rest of the day on the water, I’ll be back some time before sunset, make sure there’s cake for after supper.” Full of life and eager was the Prince’s voice, as though the mere thought of being at the helm of his ship and on open waters was enough take his mood soaring to cloud nine and completely turn his day around for the better. In reality, being out at sea was the only thing to really make him smile anymore, nothing else had managed to bring him joy after the death of his parents.

The Prince’s love for the sea was something that baffled most, it was expected that he would resent anything to do with the thing that had ripped his parents away from him at such an early age, but that wasn’t the case. He adored everything to do with the ocean. Its raw power and beauty was something that would forever have him captivated, like a siren’s song luring in an unfortunate sailor, he would always be drawn to the sea. He adored the wrath and power of the waves, how something so stunning was capable of destruction on a massive scale. Yet they could be gentle too, carefully caressing boats and ships as they lazily stretched over the sandy shores, bringing with them treasures for the inhabitants of land to discover.

The waters were calm, lapping gently at the hull of the _Valkyria_ , glittering light cast from the mid morning sun. A substantial breeze, one that would fill his sails, was sweeping through the harbour, tousling the young Prince’s hair as he gazed out at the horizon where the crystal sea met clear skies filled with the cries of seagulls. The smell of salt and sand invaded his senses, further lulling him onto a sense of peace as he strode along the boardwalk and to his ship. The _Valkyria_ truly looked beautiful, her gold embellishments sparkling under the sun just like the waves. There was nothing he loved more than his ship and his crew, they came first, even before his kingdom, a kingdom that he wanted no part of ruling. As soon as the heel of his boot hit the deck of his vessel, he was no longer a Prince, instead a Captain who was revered and loved by his handpicked crew. Although he hated to admit it, the mismatched group he had chosen to sail with him were like family, and he cared for each individual even if he never outwardly showed it. Even so, not all members of his crew were considered family. Majority of his ship’s crew was made up of sailors who held no meaning to him, bodies to fill the numbers and keep such a large structure afloat.

“Captain Ciel! It’s good to see you!” A blonde head popped into his vision, a straw sunhat bouncing against the back of the young man’s neck. Finnian was surprisingly strong for his stature, but equally as childish for a man of twenty-one. Not that it ever bothered Ciel, he was able to keep a level head when it was needed, and he was an excellent and invaluable member of his crew. Not to mention his strength made menial tasks like moving canons or the cargo that was sometimes transported aboard the _Valkyria_ to take less time than it usually would. His strength was impressive, but nothing that could be considered supernatural, Ciel just wondered where all of that muscle was hidden. “We saw each other yesterday, Finny…”

“That’s true, but I still missed you, Captain!” Ciel raised a brow at the lively man, shaking his head in mild amusement. The day could never be dreary when he was aboard the _Valkyria_ , that would always be a given. As he began giving orders to prepare the ship to raise anchor and set sail, the other cherished members of the crew came to greet him, all smiling and ever so glad to see their Captain. Altogether, there were three of them, and among them the only woman aboard his ship. Although she seemed to be clumsy and scatterbrained, she had earned the respect of the rest through her skills of manning and commanding the canons during their few run-ins with pirates.

“Cap’n, it’s good to see you! You’re later than usual though, anything interesting hold you up, or was it the same old?” Baldroy had appeared behind Finnian, cigarette pinched between his teeth and hair slightly damp, giving Ciel the impression that the chef who had a startling amount of knowledge on explosives had gone for his usual morning swim. He was in a particularly cheery mood with a grin so wide plastered to his face, that his eyes were crinkling at the edges.

“No, I was stuck in another one of those ridiculous meetings for the Coronation. I’m beginning to think I should just let Sebastian handle it.” Ciel pinched the bridge of his nose as he spoke, one thin brow twitching lightly as he recalled the earlier discussions he was forced to sit through. He knew that all it would take were a few sentences, and he Sebastian would be in control and he would never have to sit through one of those dreadful meetings again, but he knew it was best to let everything run its course rather than interfere.

“Sebastian would be brilliant at handling your Coronation, yes he would!” It was a given that Mey-Rin would jump into a conversation the second Sebastian was mentioned, Baldroy often teased her for fancying him, but the notion was constantly denied by the flustered redhead with an inability to lie very well. Ciel was well aware of Mey-Rin’s not so secretive crush on Sebastian, and cruel as it was, he often found it entertaining to watch her flounder and make a fool of herself in front of him.

“Enough of that, I want to head out now and make the most of a good day for sailing.” Ciel wanted nothing more than to abandon his royal duties and spend his life at sea, exploring the world and discovering new lands. He thought that pirates had it good. They could go wherever they wanted whenever the wanted. Nothing tied them down to the land, they only had duties to their ships and their crews. If he had the opportunity, Ciel would resign as the Prince of his country, hang up his crown and permanently replace it with a Captain’s feathered tricorne.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were born in the ocean!” Finnian chortled, striding off to hoist the anchor up and allow the ship to move from the boardwalk it was docked at and previously tied to. He was able to complete the task himself with the help of a crank – which was always kept well oiled – that pulled the chain up.

“When he was a wee boy, he spent almost every day down at the cove, collecting shells and trying to find mermaids! Think we’ll find any today, eh Captain?” Baldroy had worked as the Palace’s Chef before he had been recruited to the _Valkyria_ and watched the young Prince grow up since he was nothing but a babbling toddler, innocent and oblivious to the wonders of the world. “Oh, he did now, did ‘e?” Mey-Rin covered her mouth and giggled, turning her back to the two and trying in vain to stifle her laughter after her Captain shot her a sharp, unimpressed glare. “Mermaids aren’t _real_ , you know that, Baldroy.” Ciel scoffed and shook his head, watching in prideful satisfaction as the sails of his ship snapped open, filling with wind and slowly carrying the wide girth of his vessel out of the docks and into the vast expanse of sea.

Something Ciel had always prided himself on was his ability to navigate the sea, he had a talent for reading maps and compasses, recognising landmarks and estimating their current speed, never more than a few knots off if he wasn’t one hundred percent accurate. He was always pushing it when it came to arriving back at the palace at the promised time, cutting it closer and closer each day he went sailing. “Baldroy, take the ship.” The Captain received a nod and a hearty ‘Aye aye!’, and Baldroy dutifully took the helm, following the course that had been set as Ciel was free to wander the deck.

A beeline to the prow of the ship was made by the Prince, where he clambered over the railing to perch at the base of the figurehead with a leg either side. It was a beautifully crafted Valkyrie, outfitted in fierce armour, head adorned with a helmet framed in wings, and a long sword wielded in both of her hands, held close to her chest and pointing over the horizon. She was carved from wood by hand, gilded in gold, hair giving the illusion that it rippled with the wind. The Valkyrie figurehead was how Ciel’s ship came to be christened _Valkyria,_ and he was sure the figurehead was the most beautiful woman he would ever lay eyes on. Sitting there, feeling the wind through his hair and the misty spray of seawater against his skin, everything felt right. His back was warmed by the sun and all other noise faded into nothing as he watched the hull of the ship cut swiftly through the waves, the rhythmic sound entrancing and almost hypnotic.

The Captain stayed there, soaking up the sun and enjoying the serenity of the moment for a half hour before he finally tore himself away from his favourite place aboard the _Valkyria_ and shuffled back to the helm of his ship, still in a vaguely sleepy and sun-blissed state. By the time he was standing in front of the large wheel meant for steering the ship, he was as alert and focused as ever, glancing at the compass and then to the sun, eyes raking over their surroundings as he gauged their position. If he looked behind him, he would still be able to see the colossal mass of land that they were previously docked at, but he didn’t need to in order to know it was there. Friendly banter had filled his ears, and Ciel watched fondly as Finnian and Mey-Rin bickered over frivolous subjects, Baldroy laughing and encouraging their childish antics.

After a few hours of leisurely sailing, the wind picked up and abruptly changed direction, forcing the ship to the right and bringing with it a brewing storm that smeared the horizon grey. Ciel cursed under his breath, yanking the wheel so that the Valkyrie at the head of the ship was facing their original direction. “Captain! Shouldn’t we think about heading back now, before the storm catches up with us and we get into trouble?!” Finnian sounded concerned, but not overly troubled by the situation, more fussed with continuing the discussion he had been having with Mey-Rin. “We have plenty of time before the storm gets anywhere near us, we may as well enjoy the rest of the good weather while it lasts.” No one questioned the decision, everyone trusted that their Captain knew just how far he could push it before the storm was on top of them. They all trusted that by the time it reached its peak, they would already be safely on land.

He was cocky and arrogant, it was a trait the young Phantomhive had possessed from a young age. Ciel always strove to push the boundaries until they were moments from snapping like a stressed rubber band. Ciel always overestimated himself in every situation, yet still somehow managed to stay on his feet. When the first drops of rain fell, slowly soaking himself and his crew, Ciel was still sure he would be able to make it back on time. They were less than half an hour of sailing away from the docks, they would make it on time. That’s what he was telling himself and the lives in his care. Even so, the weather was something that could never be controlled, and the storm was on top of them before the ship had safely delivered them to their destination.

There was no fear aboard the _Valkyria_ , the conditions they were sailing in now weren’t something foreign to Ciel or his crew. Even with winds whipping at the sails violently, the rumbles of thunder above their heads and lightning casting an eerie glow over the ship, even with the frigid ocean water soaking them to the bone, they carried on. With Mother Nature blowing up a gale, in a ferocity that felt as if she planned to have the ship swept off the very face of the Earth, Ciel knew they would have to take a longer route back to the docks if they wished to lower the risk of being shipwrecked against the skeletal outcrops of stone jutting out from the wild sea. Lightning had split the sky in two, closer than it had been not a few minutes ago. Following was a crash of thunder so loud it could be felt reverberating through the boots of the ship’s crew as they scrambled about to keep the vessel afloat, shouting over the racket as the fury of the ocean increased, like it had been switched on by the press of a button.

Ciel was barking frantic orders at his crew, knuckles white as he gripped the wheel and tried to steer his beloved ship away from the sharp shards of rock that the howling wind and thrashing waters seemed so desperate to launch them into. “Captain! We’re getting awfully close to those rocks, we are! Should we raise the sails to half-mast? It’ll slow us down and give us some time!” Mey-Rin’s voice barely reached his ears, but he snatched at her suggestion like a starved lion would a scrap of meat, immediately having the sails raised to half-mast as he yanked the wheel to the left.

From not so far off, a creature who was only thought to exist in folk lore and children’s story books was watching, large, pale blue eyes blinking curiously as they observed humans scrambling to save their lives and their vessel. The Captain seemed to have captivated this creature the most, its eyes following his every movement as he commanded a recklessly loyal group of individuals. This wasn’t just a treasure that it had to have, something to be kept and cherished, kept safe and secret from the rest of its brethren and away from the humans who would most likely try and retrieve him. The very sight of this human set his heart aflame in a way he had never experienced before, and it had him feeling warm all over. Now, the mer knew that it was common for his kind to imprint on other merfolk, but a mer imprinting on a human had never been heard of, much less ever actually taking the human in question to be their mate. But this mer was different, he liked to do things differently, and he was stubborn. The second he had laid eyes on the Captain, it knew that the human would be his.

Lady Luck had to be on its side, because not moments after the fairy tale legend had mentally staked its claim on the young Captain, a rolling wave larger than life hammered into the ship, smashing it against the dagger like rocks the humans so desperately tried to keep it from. Masts snapped and rigging tangled together like a mess of spider webs, and the Captain was tossed into the frothy, swirling waters. Panicked yells pierced the air, limbs flailing and bodies crashing to the deck as the humans in peril tried to escape their fate. No one had noticed that their Captain was overboard, no one except the grinning mer who had dived into the swirling black waters to retrieve him.

Ciel wasn’t sure he was alive anymore, but he had to be. His throat ached from the scream that ripped from his throat as the waves snatched him from his ship, dragging him deep into the murky waters and away from the chaotic surface. Not only that, but he could feel his lungs burning for air, desperately begging for him to take a breath. His limbs felt heavy and sluggish and the panic had long subsided, his fate had already been sealed and his desperation for oxygen was easing off, fading away as numbness overtook him and black crept into the edges of his vision. The last thing he saw was a flash of green and purple, glittering in the darkness, like a beacon of hope. There was a sharp tug at the back of his coat and then everything went black.

**Author's Note:**

> Updates will hopefully be every Sunday, or every second Sunday, depending on my schedule. I plan to keep all chapters around this length or longer. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoy writing it. Also, it's possible I'll be making a secondary tumblr where I'll shitpost about this fic and write small drabbles of fluff etc. Along with headcanons, visuals and possibly fanart will be included too. I'll post a link if/when it happens.


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